Autism is a developmental condition. As a result, a person with autism can have difficulties with social communication and interaction, have restrictive and repetitive behaviours, and atypical sensory experiences. Autism affects around 1% of the UK population.
At Ellisons, all those within the family team (including secretaries, apprentices, trainees and all lawyers) have all had training from Autism Anglia about autism. As such, we are experienced with appropriately advising clients who are separating from or divorcing an Autistic Person, are autistic themselves or indeed have children who are autistic. We are live to the issues that may arise in these specific circumstances and are able to discuss with our clients the challenges that the Autistic person may face during the course of the separation process/divorce, or indeed the potential extra layer of challenges a family with autistic children may face.
Divorce can be overwhelming for a lot of individuals, it is one of the most stressful life events that a person can go through. However, we understand that for individuals with Autism Spectrum Differences, anxiety levels are likely to be significantly higher than the neurotypical (i.e. an individual without an Autism Spectrum Differences (ASD)). Engaging with solicitors, dealing with court applications, and attending court itself can be highly overwhelming. Some Autistic people find it such an overwhelming process that they find it difficult to engage at all and this can have an impact on the entirety of the case. As a result of our training, we are able to discuss with our clients' ways to try and progress their case in different ways.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.